Palace mum on new ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang remained mum on President Aquino’s choice for the next ombudsman even as the grapevine pointed to retired Supreme Court associate justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, with Presidential Commission on Good Government commissioner Gerard Mosquera as her deputy.

Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing yesterday that it would be best to let the President himself make an announcement.

“I cannot confirm that yet. Let’s wait for the official announcement. The President will inform us when that official announcement will take place,” he said.

Aside from Morales and Mosquera, the others who made it to the list submitted to the Judicial and Bar Council were former justice secretary Artemio Tuquero and undersecretary Leah Armamento.

The next ombudsman will replace Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned over allegations that she was unwilling to prosecute former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her officials.

Before she resigned, Gutierrez was impeached by the House of Representatives for supposedly sitting on cases involving Arroyo and her officials.

The President reportedly interviewed Morales and Mosquera.

Sources earlier said Aquino found Mosquera’s credentials impressive but considered him too young and still lacking in experience in litigation.

Mosquera is 44 while Morales is 70. Mosquera had also been a director of the Office of the Ombudsman.

He had been cleared of frustrated murder and serious physical injuries which stemmed from a fight with former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni while they were still Ateneo law students.